Automatic feed-dropper.



AUTOMATIC FEED DROPPER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-H.19I6.

1,274,845. Patented AH WG, 191$ 2 SHEETS SHEET l- INVENTOR y/llz'm j?Fwd. WITNESSES M wh ATTORNEY EYERS co FNDI'O-LIYNQ. wAsmnamia. u c

W. F. BIRD.

AUTOMATIC FEED DROPPER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. II. 1916.

- ,274, 845 Patentd Aug. 6, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ,INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY WILLIAM F. BIRD, or.BRUCETON MILLS, WEST VIRGINI A IToivIA'rIo FEED-DBOPPEB.

Specification of Letters iatent. Patentd Aug, 6, 1918.,

Application filed August 11, 1916. Serial No. 114,454

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. BIRD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bruceton Mills, in the county of Preston and State of WestVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticFeed-Droppers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inautomatic feed droppers. The primary object of this invention resides inthe provision of an automatic feed dropper which will be of improvedconstruction and operation.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an automaticfeed dropper which includes a plurality of separate compartments forcontaining hay, grain or the like with separate doors forthe-compartments, means for normally retaining the doors in closedposition, and means for automatically releasing the holding means at apredetermined hour.

The invention hasfor another object, the provision of an automatic feeddropper of the above-stated character, which will be provided withoppositely opening doors for the dilierent compartments with the doorsconstructed and arranged in such'manner that retaining members will berequired, one for the doors opening at their upper edges, so that\vhen'the last'mentioned doors are in closed position, they'overlap theadjacent edges of the remaining doors and'retain the same in closedposition.

For a furtherobject, the invention contemplates the provision of anautomatic feed dropper of this characterin which will be included novelretaining and releasing means for the doors, the releasing means beinconnected with a clock, the alarm or whic maybe-set for operation atanypredetermined hour and the releasing means permitted to operate uponoperationof the alarm. 1 I

With these: general objects in view and 'others that will appear as thenature of the invention is betterunderstood, the same consists inthe'novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully.-described, illustrated innthe accompanying drawings, andpointed:out'i'n.--the appended claims.

' In the drawings forming a part of this application and in whichlike-designating" pending from I the latter.;

characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views:- 1Figure l is a front elevation of the complete invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is .a-vertical section substantially on the plane of line 33 ofFig. 2.

Fig. l is a similar view on a plane of line 44oFi,g;2.- 7 v Fig.- 5 is adetailhorizontal section on the plane of line55 of Fig. l, and Y Fig.(Sis an enlarged detail view ofthe reciprocating releasingxleven v V IReferring more in detail to the drawings, 1 designatesa tankhaving'sloping sides 2 and a flat bottom 3. The. tank 1 is provided withvertical partitions d to divide the same into wide compartments or bins5 to contain hay, and narrow compartments or bins 6 for. grain or thelike. NVithin each grain compartment or bin 6 is an inclined bottommember whichhas its lower end extended to the forward edge of-the bottom.3. The doors 8 and 9 for the hay compartments or bins and graincompartments or bins respectively, are inclined forwardly toward theirupper ends and thedoors 8 are hinged at their lower edges tothe bottom 3by suitable hinges 10, while thedoors 9 are hinged at their upper edgesto the inclined front side'2, by suitable [members 1 1. M Each door 8has a flange 12 formed along one 1011- gitudinal' or vertical edge-and.resting upon a similar flange 18 formed along the adjacent longitudinali or vertical. edge of .the adjacent-door 9. whilesaiddoor 8 is inclosed position to retainsaid ClOjQt 9 in closed posirin to thedrawings;

: ach door 8 1s-retamedin closed. position tion, aswillzbereadilyzunder'stood by referby an arm 14, projecting from theshaft 15 7 extended longitudinally beneath; the bottom 3 and mounted insuitable bearings l fiqde- One end of the shaft15 is turned; atan-angleandextended upwardly ed to swing in the slotlS of the supportingshaft 19. The plate 19 is secured to one side or endbtthecasing20'mountedj upon one end of the .shaft l, I

to foi -ma levei-lTwhidI is adapt- The casing 20 serves toincloseaclbck21 or theilike, the casing 20 beingprovided with a transparent member 22in its front portion, while a door 23 is provided for the rear sideotthe casing 20, said door being mounted upon suitable hinges 2 andretained in closed position by a spring latch member 25 carried by thecasing 20 and normally engaged over the latch pin 26 carried. by thedoor 23.

The lever 17 is normally held at the inner end of the slot .18 by meansof a pivoted latch member 27 mounted upon the plate '19 and having oneend of ,a vcurved leaf spring 28 pressing upon one side to resilientlyretain one end of the latch member 27 in position across the slot 18 in,the path of the lever 17. A second pivoted memberQ?) is mounted uponthe plate 119 and ihasaoll end engaged with the remaining end themember27. Pivotednpon the pposite end of the member 29 is the main latchmember 30 which is adapted to reciprocate through an opening 31 in onewall ofthe casing 20. The main latch member 80 ialsozreciprocatesthrough thegnide recess 32 inthe guidehar 33 secured to the inn-er faceof the .casingQO. The free end of the main latch member v3O has a noseformed thereon forengage ment -by,-the winding key 35 ;of the alarmmechanism 86 off-the clockQl. During the winding ofthc alarm mechanism36, theakey 35 will ride over the inclinedrface:31ozfthe nose 'Withouthaving any effect upon the pivoted membe s 27 and-29. Itwill also beunderstood that the alarm mechanism 36 may be set to ope ate at-anypi-edetremined hour and release the lever 17.

'Upon operation ofthe alarm mechanism '36 causing rotation of thewinding key 85, the "latter will be caused to operate against the mainor straight faceof the .nose 3%, drawingthe main latchmember 3Oinwardly, turning the pivotedmembe 29. nd. causing the latterto swingthe pivoted member 27 against the tension of the spring 28 .nnti-l thelever 17 is-released. This iwillpermit rotation of-the shaft-15andmovement of the arms 14: away from the doors 8, which latter-willswing outwardly-upon:hinges 10 and release the doors 9 topermit thelatter to swing outwardly at their lower edges .a limited distance. Uponopening of the doors 8 and 9, the contentsof'the compartments orbins 5and 6 will be released and permittedto 'd-rop from the same in; a steadystream until the lever 17 is returned tenormal position. v e

The shaft 15 has its end opposite -the lever" 17 extended upwardly-toform a lever 38, to which may be connected a -wire 39 extended to anysuitable point ,and'i'f de sired, this wire 39 may beemployed forreturning the lever 17 to normal position.

What I claim as'new is i 1;The combination with a receptacle'havingahinged door, of a;rotatable-shaft, an

arm fixed to rotate w ith said shaft, and nor- Lat/4,846

mally engaged with the door to retain the same in closed position, alever fixed to rotateavith the shaft, a'plateprovided with alongitudinal slot adapted to receive said le ver, a latch mounted on theplate and normally engaged with the lever to retain the same lockedtherein, and time controlled .means for disengaging the latch from thelGWBI to permit the doors to open.

2. The combination with, a receptacle have ing a-hinge d doqr,.of arotatableish aft, an arm carried ,by said shaftand normally holding saiddoor..in closed position, a plate provided with a slot, a lever carriedby's aid shaft and adapted to be received in said slet, a pivoted latchadaptedto be extended across said slot for loek ingengagemen with thelever, a releasing member ,engageable with saidzlatqh, a c ck mechanisman operative connection between said neck mechanism and said releasingmember to a l th l t t b eleased a a predet rmined (hour. 'i

3. The combination with a receptacle provided with a hinged door, of arotatable shaft, arms carried ,by said shaft andv ,normally holding said,door in closed position, a lever carried by said shaft, a plateprovided.Witha slot to receivesaid lever, .a,piv-

oted atch member carried .by said plate and normally extended acrosssaidslot for looking. engagement with. said lever, a p voted releasin gmember mounted ,on. said plate and engageable with saidllatch, anactuating member connected with said eleasi nganemher to move the sameout .of v,engagement 3v1th.sa1d-=lev.er, and a clock mechan sm ncludinga rotatable key ,operatively engaged .wlth and controll ng sa daotuating nember.

=4. The, combination wi h a receptacle havi-ng a hingeddoor, of a.shaft, anarni carried by said. shaft and normally holding said door inclosed positioina lever carried by said shaft, a plate carriedby saidreceptacle and provided with a slot toreceive said lever wheirthe dooris nclosed position, a latch pivoted upon said plate and adapted to be.extendedacross said slotto retain the lever: therein, a releasingmember pivoted upon said plateand having, oneend thereof engaged withsaid latch, a reciproeating actuatingzmember oarried by saideleasinggnember, and a clooktinechanism ineluding a ,rotatablewmdingkey; engageable at times with said actuating member to ,move

the latch to aleverreleasing p,osi.tion.

:In .testim0ny. whereof I aflix .my; signature in. presence oftwowitnesses. I .JLLIAMgF. BIB-.1

' Wlitne'sses .iRoss LEONARD,

vns'ros 1 :THOMAS.

Copiesofthis patent maybe-obtained for -five cents aeaehnby.ellflljessing ithe-5f. fio nn i ss iqner of late nts,

\Washiaewnelhlt. u

